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Recumbent Bike - bike or MFP calories burned?

BlingJeep
BlingJeep Posts: 2 Member
edited February 15 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been doing recumbent biking at the gym and the calories burned vary GREATLY from the bike to MFP and wondering which is more realistic? I guess I should probably go with the smaller number to be safe but we're talking less than half...

I'm doing 50% resistance at 12-14 mph, bike says I burned 265 after 36 minutes and MFP says 622....MFP is closer to but still higher than some of the other online calculators I found. Maybe I'll just split the difference. :)

Replies

  • professormudd1
    professormudd1 Posts: 59
    I would go with the bike. It knows the effort you are putting in. Does the bike ask for your age and weight?

    ETA: When I use the recumbent bike, pushing myself at 23mph, I tend to burn about 10 calories per minute. On the elliptical, when I push hard I get about 15 calories per minute. So I am guessing your bike is giving you the more accurate reading.
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
    Even MFP says if a machine gives you a calorie count to use that. I use a recumbent & the calories it gives me are a lot lower than MFP estimates. Of course if you can use a recumbent where you have to enter in your weight, that's going to be more accurate that one that doesn't. But even if you don't enter your weight, then I think the machine is still more accurate. My calories burned on a recumbent vary mostly w/how hard I'm pushing it.
  • fishermanmatt
    fishermanmatt Posts: 308 Member
    I would go with the lower of the two. Have you considered a heart rate monitor?
  • BlingJeep
    BlingJeep Posts: 2 Member
    No, the bike doesn't take any input from me on age/weight. I'm a total newbie and didn't know MFP said to use the calorie count from the equipment itself. Thanks for the input, I'll stick with the lower number!
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